How many days can a mouse survive without food? - briefly
A mouse typically survives about 2–3 days without any food, provided it has water. After this interval, critical organ failure leads to death.
How many days can a mouse survive without food? - in detail
A mouse can endure a period without nourishment for only a few days under normal laboratory conditions. When water remains available, the typical survival window ranges from 48 to 96 hours. Energy stores in the form of glycogen and fat are quickly exhausted; glycogen depletion occurs within the first 12 hours, after which the animal relies on fat oxidation, which cannot sustain metabolism indefinitely.
Several variables influence this timeframe:
- Ambient temperature: Cooler environments reduce metabolic demand, extending survival by up to 30 percent; warmer settings accelerate energy consumption.
- Age and health: Juvenile or compromised individuals possess smaller reserves and may succumb within 24 hours, whereas healthy adults approach the upper limit of the range.
- Species and strain: Small‑size strains with higher basal metabolic rates die sooner than larger, slower‑metabolizing varieties.
- Water access: Absence of drinking water dramatically shortens the period; dehydration can become lethal within 48 hours, even if food is withheld alone.
Empirical observations from rodent‑starvation studies report occasional outliers surviving up to 7 days when water is present and conditions are optimal. Extreme cases without water rarely exceed 48 hours, as dehydration overwhelms any remaining energy reserves.
In summary, a mouse generally survives 2–4 days without food when water is supplied, with the upper bound extending to about a week under favorable circumstances, while lack of hydration truncates survival to under two days.